Friday Prayers - The virtue of Friday

Which day of the week do you consider most holy and your sabboth?
Praise be to Allaah.
It should be noted that the entire life of a Muslim is worship of
Allaah; there is no special day for worship, for the Muslim is
worshipping Allaah all the time. But there is a day which Allaah has
made special for this ummah (nation), the nation of Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), andwhich Allaah has favoured
above all the other days of the week. That day is Friday. There are a
number of hadeeths which speak ofthe virtue of this day, including the
following:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "We (Muslims) are the last
(of the nations) but (we will be) the foremost on the Day of
Resurrection, although the former nations were given their scriptures
before us and we were given our after them. And this (Friday) is the
day concerning which they disputed. So Allaah guided us (to it),
tomorrow (i.e., Saturday) is for the Jews and the day after (i.e.,
Sunday) is for the Christians." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Jumu'ah,
847).
It was also narrated (by al-Bukhaari) that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The best day on
which the sun rises is Friday. On this day Adam was created, on this
day he entered Paradise and on this day he was expelled from it."
(Narrated by Muslim, al-Jumu'ah, 1410)
It was narrated that Taariq ibn Shihaab said: "A Jewish man said to
'Umar, 'O Commander of the faithful, if this aayah – 'This day, I have
perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and
have chosen for you Islam as your religion' [al-Maa'idah 5:3 –
interpretation of the meaning] – had been revealed to us, we would
have taken that day as an 'Eid (festival)." 'Umar said, "I know on
which day this aayah was revealed; it was revealed on the Day of
'Arafaah, which was a Friday." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Al-I'tisaam
bi'l-Kitaab wa'l-Sunnah, 6726).
Among the hadeeth which explain the reward for this day is that which
was narratedby Abu Hurayrah, which says that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Each of the five
daily prayers and from one Jumu'ah prayer to the next is an expiation
for the time in between, so long as one does not commit any major
sin." (al-Tahaarah, 342).
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'When Friday comes,
at each door of the mosque there are angels who write down the first
ones to come to the mosque. Then when the imaam sits down they close
their books and come to listen to thesermon. The one who comes early
(for Friday prayer) is like who sacrificed a camel, then those who
come after him (in order of their coming) are like one who sacrificed
a cow, then one who sacrificed a horned ram, then one who sacrificed a
chicken, then like one who offered an egg." (narrated by al-Bukhaari,
al-Jumu'ah, 1416).
It was also narrated in a hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "One of the best of your days
is Friday. On it Adam was created and on it he died. On it the Trumpet
will be blown and on it all creatures will perish (prior to the
Resurrection on the Last Day). So send many blessings upon me on that
day, for your blessings will be shown to me." They said, "How will our
blessings be shown to you when yourbody will have become dust?" He
said, "Allaah has forbidden the earth to consume our [Prophets']
bodies." (Narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa'i; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa'l-Tarheeb, no. 695).
It was narrated in a hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever makes his wife do ghusl and does
ghusl himself [i.e., has intercourse] on Friday and goes out early,
walking not riding, and comes close to the imaam and listens [to the
sermon] without interrupting, will have for each step he takes a
reward equal to that of fasting and praying at night for one year."
(Narrated by Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Targheeb wa'l-Tarheeb, no. 687)
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mentioned Friday and said: "On
this day there is an hour when no Muslim slave stands and prays and
asks Allaah forsomething, but Allaah will give it to him," and he
gestured with his hand to indicate that whatever he asks fo , is as
nothing to Allaah. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Jumu'ah, 883)
It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Seek the hour in which there
is hope that prayers will be answered, on Friday after 'Asr
(mid-afternoon) prayer, until the sun goes down." (Narrated by
al-Tirmidhi; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb
wa'l-Tarheeb, no. 700).
And Allaah knows best.

Friday Prayers - The virtue of listening attentively to the Jumu’ah khutbah

Will a man be rewarded for listening attentively to the Jumu'ah khutbah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Listening attentively to the khateeb on Friday is an obligation, and
it is not permissible for the Muslims to be careless about that and
fidget, talk or ignore the khutbah. The following ahaadeeth have been
narrated concerning the virtues of listening attentively to the
khutbah.
1 – Expiation for sins committed between this Friday and the previous Friday.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does ghusl, then comes to Jumu'ah, and prays what is decreed
for him, then listens attentively until the khutbah is over, then
prays with him (theimam), will be forgiven (his sins) between that and
the next Jumu'ah, and three days more."
Narrated by Muslim (857); a similar report was narrated from Salmaan
al-Faarisi by al-Bukhaari (883).
2 – For every step he takes to the mosque, thereward of fasting and
praying qiyaam for one year will be recorded forhim.
It was narrated that Aws ibn Aws said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever washes his head and his body (ghusl) on Friday, then sets out
early, is present at the beginning of the khutbah and is close (to the
imam), then listens attentively, for every step he takes he will have
the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (496) who said: it is a hasan hadeeth. It was
classed as saheeh by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (3/227) and by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
3 – The reward for praying Jumu'ah depends on listening attentively.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"If you say to your companion, 'Listen attentively' on a Friday, when
the imam is delivering the khutbah, then you have engaged in idle
speech."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (934) and Muslim (851).
4 – The one who listens attentively will have twokafl of reward.
'Ali ibn Abi Taalib delivered a khutbah in Kufah and said in his khutbah:
If a man sits in a place where he can hear and see (the imam) and
listens attentively and does not engage in idle speech or fidgeting,
he will have two shares of reward. If he stays far away and sits in a
place where he cannot hear but he listens attentively and does not
engage in idle speech or fidgeting, he will have one share of reward.
If he sits in a place where he can hearand see but he engages in idle
speech or fidgets and does not listen attentively, then he will have
one share of sin."
And at the end of that hesaid: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that.
Narrated by Abu Dawood (1051) and classed as da'eef (weak) by
al-Albaani. A similar report was narrated from Abu Umaamah in a
marfoo' report in al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer (8/165) and in a mursal report
from Yahya ibn Abi Katheer in Musannaf 'Abd al-Razzaaq (3/223).

Friday Prayers - Giving the khutbah in the local language

Can Khutba on fridays can be delivered in regional languages. Or its a
must that it should be in Arabic.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Friday khutbah is an act of worship which should not be done in
the local language. But ifthere is no one present who speaks Arabic
well, then it is OK to say what the people present will understand. If
the people present do not understand Arabic then it is OK to translate
what they need to know for them after the prayer, orto explain to them
in their language what they need to know.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr

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Three Solid Truths

Once, a person was verbally abusing Abu Bakr (RA) while the Prophet
(SAW) was curiously watching with a smile. After taking much abuse
quietly, Abu Bakr responded to a fewof his comments. At this, the
Prophet exhibited his disapproval, got up and left. Abu Bakr caught up
with the Prophet and wondered, 'O Messenger of Allaah, he was abusing
me and you remained sitting. When I responded to him, you disapproved
and got up.' The Messenger of Allaah responded,
'There was an angel with you responding to him. When you responded to
him, Shaytaan took his place.'
He then said,
'O Abu Bakr, there are three solid truths: If a person is wronged and
he forbears it (without seeking revenge) just forthe sake of Allaah
(SWT), Allaah will honour him and give him the upper hand with His
help; if a person opens a door of giving gifts for cementing
relationships with relatives, Allaah willgive him abundance; and, if a
person opens a door of seeking charity for himself to increase his
wealth, Allaah will further reduce his wealth.'
Reported from Aboo Hurairah in Mishkaah

Horse of Paradise

Hadrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (RA) reports that a desertArab came to the
Holy Prophet (SAW) and submitted: "O Prophet ofAllah, I am very fond
of horses. Will there be horses in heaven?" The Holy Prophet
observed:"If you were sent to Paradise, you would be given a horse
made of emerald. The horse will have two wings. You would mount the
horse and it would fly you to where ever it might be your pleasure to
go." Source: Tirmidhi.
This horse will be an aircraft in Heaven. The worldly aircraft is
designed like a fish, whereas the heavenly aircraft will be in the
form of a horse. The worldly aircraft is made of aluminum; the
heavenly aeroplane will be made of emerald!

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Endless Delight

Eat and drink with relish for what you did.(Surat al-Mursalat, 43)
The Qur'an announces thatthe people of Paradise are blessed with the
finest food and various drinks. But since these people require no
nourishment, we can understand that such food and drink have been
created only to give pleasure.
This food resembles the food of this world. The people of Paradise
will express this similarity in the following way:
Give the good news to those who believe and do right actions, that
they will have Gardens with rivers flowing under them.When they are
given fruit there as provision, they will say: "This is what we were
given before." But they were only given a simulation of it. They will
have there spouses of perfect purity, and will remain there
timelessly, forever. (Surat al-Baqara, 25)
Many foods in this world address people's appetitesand give pleasure
by their appearance and taste. Of course Allah can easily create
similar foods in Paradise to give pleasure to believers. But, unlike
with earthly food, there will be no need to worry about gaining
weight, cholesterol, overeating, and so on, for Allah tells them: "Eat
and drink with relish for what you did" (Surat al-Mursalat, 43) Being
able to eat and drink beyond any reckoning is a delightfully pleasant
reward.
In order to attain Paradise,people are tested in this earthly life.
Believers showgreat effort and zeal in order to please our Lord, for
they turn to Him sincerely, thank Him continually, pray to Him, and
repent of their sins. Asa reward, Allah offers them the blessings of
Paradise.
Leading all of the food mentioned in the Qur'an ismeat. In Paradise,
Allah gives believers "any kind of fruit and meat that theydesire"
(Surat at-Tur, 22), and will offer them "any bird-meat they desire"
(Surat al-Waqi'a, 22). Moreover, their food will"never run out" (Surah
Sad, 54), because believerswill"enter Paradise, provided for in it
without any reckoning" (Surah Ghafir, 40).
They will be able to eat as much as they want, for theamount and types
of food available will never decrease, and no one will be forced to
stop eating due to being full or feelingsick.
Fruit is perhaps the food most often mentioned in the Qur'an. In
Paradise, believers receive whatevertype of fruit they desire. The
Qur'an describes this:
Its shading branches will droop down over them, itsripe fruit hanging
ready tobe picked. (Surat al-Insan, 14)
Thus, we understand that fruits of Paradise grow on trees in natural
surroundings and that believers can easily pick and eat them. Surat
al-Waqi'a 28-29 mentions""fruit-laden lote-trees with thorns removed"
and"[banana] trees layered [with fruit]," meaning thatthe fruit can be
obtained easily due to Paradise's infinite blessings.
The fruit it so plentiful that the tree branches cannot bear its
weight, and it is easy to reach because the branches bend down to the
ground.
This fruit may be offered freely on golden and silvertrays and
tastefully designed plates to believers, who are sitting on thrones
and conversingwith one another. Certainly all seeds and traces of rot
and bruising that annoy people in this world have been removed,as
befits Paradise. All fruitsare offered to believers freely, with their
eye-catching beauty and without blemish.
Fruit also adds further color and aesthetic beautyto Paradise. The
sight of trees laden with all sorts of colorful fruits lends even more
beauty to the wonderful landscape. The predominant color is green, and
within that green are yellows, oranges, and reds that form a beautiful
view that strikes the human eye. As an indication of Allah's mighty
artistry, this view is another cause for thanksgiving.
Certainly, many kinds of drinks are also desirable. For instance,
Surat as-Saffat, 45 mentions "a cup from a flowing spring passing
round among them." In Paradise, believers are given "the choicest
sealed wine to drink, whose seal is musk"(Surat al-Mutaffifin, 25-27).
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Dua - When leaving the house

Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
When leaving the house
Recite:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ
إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
"I depart with Allah's name, relying on Him. It is Allah who saves us
from sins with His guidance (the ability to do so)." (Tirmidhi)
It is stated in the hadith that if a person recites the above dua and
departs then there is an (unseen) procalamation that his need will be
fullfilled and that he will be protected from any harm or injury. On
hearing this dua, the Satan goes away from the place and refrains from
troubling the reciting person.
(Tirmidhi)
Also look towards the skyand recite:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَضِلَّأَوْ أُضَّلَّ أَوْ أَظْلِمَ
أَوْ أُظْلَمَ أَوْ أَجْهَلَ أَوْ يُجْهَلَ عَلَىَّ
"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from misleading or being misled or
oppressing or being oppressed or from being ignorant or bearing the
result of ignorance".
(Mishkat)

Dua - When entering ones home

Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
When entering ones home
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلِجِ وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلِجْنَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِرَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا
"O Allah, I seek a good entry and a good exit. We take Allah's name to
enter and to exit and relyon Him who is our Lord.
After this dua greet the members of the household.
(Mishkat)
Jaabir (R.A.) narrates that Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) stated that when
a man enters his home and makes Dhikr (remembers Allah) and also makes
Dhikr at meal times, then Satan says to his colleagues that the night
cannot be spent there nor can they partake of the peoples food and if
no Dhikr was made on entering the house, then Satan says to his
colleagues that they have an opportunity to spend the night there and
if no Dhikr was madeat meal times, then Satan tells his colleagues
that they will be able to stay there and also get food.
(Mishkat, Chapter on food)

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For One Bedroom Flat ?A Heart Touching Story

Every person those who rfar away from their parents for jobs should
have to read this heart touching Story
As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software
Engineering and joined acompany based in USA, the land of braves and
opportunity. When I arrived in the USA, it was as if a dream had come
true.
Here at last I was in the place where I want to be.I decided I would
be staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would
have earned enough money tosettle down in India.
My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only
asset he could acquire was a decent onebedroom flat.
I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick
and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my
parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years
passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2
years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the
Rupee value went down.
Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10
days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I
got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was
actually enjoying hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I
miss anyone then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home
one week going through all the photographs of girls and as the time
was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate.
In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in
2-3 days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it
was timeto return to USA, after giving some money to my parents and
telling the neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA.
My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started
feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a
week sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing.
After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy
and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time Ispoke to my
parents, they asked me to come toIndia so that they can seetheir
grand-children.
Every year I decide to go to India, But part work part monetary
conditionsprevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant
dream. Then suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were
seriously sick. I tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could
not go to India.
The next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was
no one to do the last rights the society members had done whatever
they could. I was depressed. My parents had passed awaywithout seeing
their grand children.
After couple more years passed away, much to mychildren's dislike and
my wife's joy we returned toIndia to settle down.
I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings
were short and the property prices had goneup during all these years.I
had to return to the USA.
My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay
in India. My 2 children and I returned to US afterpromising my wife I
would be back for good after two years.
Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and
my son was happy living in USA... I decided that had enough and
wound-up every thing and returned to India... I had just enough money
to buy a decent 02 bedroom flat in a well-developed locality.
Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for
the routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left
me and gone to the holy abode.
Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after
stayingin India, Had a house to his name and I too have the same
nothing more. Ilost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA
BEDROOM.
Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This
damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are
losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards
from mychildren asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me.
Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be
performing my last rights, God Bless them.
But the question still remains 'was all this worth it?'
I am still searching for ananswer.................!!!
START THINKING
IS IT JUST FOR ONE EXTRA BEDROOM???
LIFE IS BEYOND THIS..DON'T JUST LEAVE YOUR LIFE .. START LIVING IT.
LIVEIT AS YOU WANT IT TO BE
WRITTEN BY AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER...A Bitter Reality

What is the Life - True Meaning

Once a man saw in his dream, that a lion was chasing him. The man ran
to a tree, climbed on to it and sat on a branch. He looked down and
sawthat the lion was still there waiting for him.
The man then looked to his side where the branch he was sitting on was
attached to the tree and saw that two rats were circling around
andeating the branch. One rat was black and the other one was white.
Thebranch will fall on the ground very soon.
The man then looked below again with fear and discovered that a
bigblack snake had come and settled directly under him. The snake
opened its mouth right under the man so that hewill fall into it. The
man then looked up to see if there was anything that he could hold on
to.
He saw another branch with a honeycomb. Dropsof honey were falling
from it. The man wanted to taste one of the drops.So, he put his
tongue outand tasted one of the falling drops of honey. The honey was
amazing in taste. So, he wanted totaste another drop and then another
and as a result, he got lost into the sweetness of the honey. He
forgot about the two rats eating his branch away, the lion on the
ground and the snake that is sitting right under him. Suddenly when
the branch broke he remembered all the dangers woke up from his sleep.
The man couldn't understand the dream,sohe went to a scholar to know
its meaning.
The scholar said
"The lion you saw is your death. It always chases you and goes where everyou go.
The two rats,one black and one white, are the night and the day. Black
one is the night and the white one is the day. They circle around,
coming one after another, to eat your timeas they take you closer
todeath. The big black snake with a dark mouth is your grave. It's
there, just waiting for you to fall into it.
The honeycomb is this world and the sweet drops of honey are the
luxuries of this world. Welike to taste a little of the luxuries of
this world andit's very sweet. Then we want to taste little more and
then more. Meanwhile, we get lost into it and we forget about our
time, we forget about our death and we forget about our grave."
Moral: Life is full of attractions and distractions.
Live..Love..Laugh..Be Content With Life..It's Awesome!

True Stories

BABY giraffes never go toschool. But they learn a very important
lesson rather early in life.
A lesson that all of us would do well to remember.
The birth of a baby giraffe is quite an earth-shaking event. The baby
falls from its mother's womb, some eight feet above the ground. It
shrivels up and lies still, too weak to move. The mother giraffe
lovingly lowers her neck to smooch the baby giraffe. And then
something incredible happens. She lifts her long leg and kicks the
baby giraffe, sending it flying up in the air and tumbling down on the
ground. As the baby lies curled up, the mother kicks the baby again
and again Until the baby giraffe, still trembling and tired, pushes
its limbs and for the first time learns to stand on its feet.
Happy to see the baby standing on its own feet, the mother giraffe
comesover and gives it yet another kick. The baby giraffe falls one
more time, but now quickly recovers and stands up. Mama Giraffe is
delighted.
She knows that her baby has learnt an important lesson:
Never mind how hard you fall, always remember to pick yourself up and
get back on your feet.
Why does the mother giraffe do this?
She knows that lions and leopards love giraffe meat. So unless the
baby giraffe quickly learns to stand and run with the pack - it will
have no chance of survival.
Most of us though are not quite as lucky as baby giraffes. No one
teaches us to stand up every time we fall. When we fail, when we are
down, we just give up. No one kicks us out of our comfort zone to
remind us that to survive and succeed, we need to learn to get back on
our feet. If you study the livesof successful people though, you will
see a recurring pattern. Were they always successful in all they did?
No. Did success come to them quick and easy? No,
You will find that the common streak running through their lives is
their ability to stand up every time they fall. The ability of the
baby giraffe! The road to success is never an easy one. There are
several obstacles, and you are bound to fall sooner or later. You will
hit a road block, you will taste failure. But success lies inbeing
able to get up every time you fall.
That's a critical life skill. And it's the habit of all successful people.

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Battle of al-Ahzab (Tribes), Battle of Khandaq (Ditch, Moat, Trench):

The Qureshite communityhad one important dream: The destruction of
Mohammed and his religion. Pagan tribes outside Mecca were sharing
with them the same dream. Like the Meccans, these tribes considered
Mohammed a serious menace to their religion. This belief brought these
tribes and the Muslims into military confrontations in which the
Muslims had the upper hand. These tribes,therefore, were like the
Meccan community full ofresentment and rancor towards Mohammed and his
religion.
Non-Pagan Tribes
There were clashes between the Muslims andsome of the people of
scripture who were neighboring Medina caused by their breaching of
covenants with the Holy Prophet. Tribes from among them such as Banu
Al-Natheer and others were exiled by the Prophet.
A delegation from these people went to Mecca and other Arab
communities during the fifth year after the Hijrah,propagating war
against the Prophet and attempting to mobilize the Arab forces for the
proposed war. They did not need much effort to persuade the Meccans to
a military undertaking against the Prophet. Their response to the
invitation was prompt, and without hesitation, they mobilized four
thousand fighters. This army was supplemented with six thousands from
Ghatafan, Saleem, and other tribes. Thus, ten thousands strong marched
towards Medina.
The Holy Prophet received the news of the imminent invasion a few days
before their arrival at Medina. He consulted his companions, and
Salman Al-Farisi (the Persian) advised the Prophet to dig a moat
around Medina to prevent the invaders from entering it. The Messenger
commanded the Muslims (who were about three thousands) to implement
the plan. The moat was dug withinsix days.
Witnessing the moat, the invaders were surprised and realized that it
had become difficult for themto enter Medina. Thus they found it
necessary to besiege Medina instead of invading it directly. Banu
Quraidhah,a community from the followers of the Scripture, joined the
pagan army after its arrival. This community had a covenant of peace
with the Prophet. Their treacherous action was a frightening surprise
to the Muslims. By breaching the covenant, this community gave the
pagan army additional forces and equipment. It became the duty of the
Muslims to add to their defensive lines another line.
The Muslims in horror
There were many hypocrites among the Muslims who circulated
frightening rumors, which added to the fear of the Muslims. The Holy
Qur'an tells us of the psychological crisis with which the Muslims
lived during that period:
"Behold! They came uponyou from above you and from below you, and when
the eyes grew wildand the hearts gaped up to the throats, and ye
imagined various (vain) thoughts about God! In that situation the
believers were tried: They were shaken with a mighty Shock. And
behold! The hypocrites and those in whose hearts there is disease
(even) say: God and His Apostle promised us nothing but delusion!
Behold! A party among them said: O people of Yathrib (Medina), you
cannot stand (the attack),therefore turn back! And a band of them ask
for leave of the Prophet, saying: Truly our houses are bare and
exposed though they were not exposed; they intended nothing but to
flee." (33:10-13)
The pagan army, on the contrary, was enjoying an extremely high
morale. Victory to them was certain. Medina was under their siege, and
its inhabitants did not possess the courage to come out of it. Their
confidence in victory andmorale went higher when Banu Quraidhah joined
them. This made them change their strategy from the siege of Medina to
a direct invasion.
Amr's Venture
Amr Ibn Abd Wodd, accompanied by Dhirar Ibn Al-Khattab, Akramah Ibn
Abu Jahl, and others, sought and found a narrow place in the moat.
Their horses leaped above the moat tothe other side. Had this
adventure succeeded many pagan fighters were expected to follow them
and make it feasible for the whole army to pass through that narrow
place, for they could have spanned the two sides of the ditchby
filling that narrow gap with soil.
The Muslims were in a state of shock and horrorbefore the passage of
these pagan soldiers to their side. The new danger, which was
presented by their passage, made the morale of the Muslims much lower
than before.
Men of strong faith
Though the hearts of most of the Muslims werefilled with fear, some of
them were unshaken by the new danger. It rathermade their faith
strongerin God, His Messenger, and the promised victory.These
individuals were ready to sacrifice themselves and one of them
certainly was determined to try to confine the danger, then to remove
it. The Holy Qur'an tells us of the morale of these believers.
When the believers saw the confederate forces, they said: This is what
God and His Apostle had promised us. And God and His Apostle told us
what is true. And it only added to their faith and their zeal in
obedience."Among the believers aremen who have been true to their
covenant with God: Of them some have completed their vow (to the
extreme), and some (still) wait; but they have never changed (their
determination) in the least." (33:23)
The Holy Qur'an does not inform us of the number of those believers
whose faith was increased by the increase of the danger. These
believers may have been scores or just a few. However, faithsometimes
remains only as a state of mind without being transformed into action.
Some of the faith is active, flowing with vitality and moving the
faithful to face the danger and to rise to its level and above its
level.
The number of these distinguished believers remained unknown.
Ali's Response
However, history informed us of one of them because of his outstanding
achievements at this battle, in confining and removing the danger,
which shook the very foundation of the Islamic state. That man was no
other than Ali Ibn Abu Talib.
Amr Ibn Wodd, who crossed the moat, was well known among the Arabs. He
attended the battle, boastfully making his place known to people. His
very passage from one side to the other side of the moat, accompanied
only by a small number of fighters, indicates that the man was
extremely courageous. He was the only one from among theten thousand
fighters who tried to invade the Muslims directly and challenge them
totally while he was with them on one side.
The passage of Amr and his companions presented to the Muslims a new
and serious danger and a frighteningsurprise, which they never
expected. The doorwas about to be opened widely, and hundreds and
thousands were expected to follow. The surprise, however, did not
frighten or astonish Ali. History informs us of Ali's
present-mindedness and fast response, for he immediately moved to
confine the danger, then to remove it. Leading a small number of
believers, he went immediately to the point where the Islamic defense
line was broken by the passage of Amr. Hehad his companions stand
there, preventing others from attempting to follow Amr. And after he
confined the new danger, he managed to remove it completely.
While mounting his horse, Amr went around the area of Sal'a, facing
the Muslims and challenging them: "Is there any dueler?" He repeated
this call but there was no response on the part of the companions.
This compelled Ali to leave his place where he was deterring the pagan
forces from following Amr by crossing the Moat.Responding to Amr's
challenge, he left that place temporarily to be defended by the few
who were with him.
He neared Amr and askedhim to face him in a duel.At this moment the
Prophet (S.A.W.) uttered this historical sentence: "Entire faith is
facing entire infidelity" . Amr arrogantly replied: "Why,son of my
brother (Amr was a friend of Abu Talib,father of Ali)? By God, I would
not like to kill you." Ali replied: "But, by God; I would love to kill
you." A short but extremely violent duel between the two heroes took
place. Ali killed Amr immediately and Amr's companions ran away,
trying to re-cross the moat from the Islamic side to the pagan side.
Ali exclaimed: "Allahu Akbar," (God is Great) and so did the Muslims.
The death of Amr was theend of the new danger. Those who were with him
ran away, trying to save their skin; but most of them were killed
before they could cross to the other side.
Ali made a great contribution in the defense of Islam at this battle
during which the danger against the new Faith reached its peak.
At this battle the Muslims faced a greater danger than ever before.
The elements of the Islamic defense were the same three elements which
played their roles during the two battles of Badr and Ohod: The
firmness of the Messenger and his ideal leadership: the heroism of
Ali; and the determination of the Islamic army.
A fourth element was added at this battle: The role of Salman
Al-Farisi (the Persian) who counseled the Prophet to dig the moat
around Medina.
The role of the Islamic army during the Battle of Ohod was smaller
than itsrole during the Battle of Badr. And it was less important at
the Battle ofthe Moat than it was at the Battle of Ohod, for the
Muslims during the Battle of the Moat did noteven dare face the enemy.
They only dug themoat around the city before the arrival of the pagan
army then stood behind the moat until theend of the battle.
The roles of the first two defensive elements were similar to their
roles at Badr and Ohod and probably bigger. The firmness of the
Messenger, his leadership, his war strategy and his speed in digging
the moat were most essential in making the Muslims pass the crisis
safely.
Ali's role at this battle was outstanding in the history of the Islamic defense.
The magnitude of Ali's contribution
It would not be logical to say that the Muslims wereunable
collectively to kill Amr, who could not by himself prevail against
thousands of Muslims. But this was not the case.Amr was calling for a
duel. A duel could only bebetween two persons. It was considered to be
shameful for two men or more to have a duel with one man. Amr
challengedall the Muslims to send one of them to have a duel with him.
None of them was willing to face him except Ali.
Nor would it be logical tosay that Amr was the entire power of the
pagan forces, and that his death was a defeat for the whole
confederate army. But it would be logical to affirm two important
matters:
1. Ali's initiative to block the passage point and prevent others from
following Amr had stopped the danger and confined it. Had the passage
point remained open, a great number of the pagan soldiers wouldhave
followed Amr and their passage could have resulted in establishing a
bridge between the two sides of the moat. Such a bridge would enable
the whole army to cross.
One hour of negligence could have led to a decisive defeat of the
Islamic army. This did nothappen because Ali was fast in his response
to thenew danger, present minded, calm and collective and ready to
deal with the serious crisis.
2. The death of Amr proved to the pagan army that they were unable to
pass the moat again, and that what Amrcould not accomplish could not
be accomplished by others. By this the pagan army had to face one of
two alternatives: Withdrawal, or continuation of the siege until the
Muslims surrender or were forcedto cross the moat and fight the
pagans. The continuity of the siege of Medina was beyond the ability
of the pagan army. It did not have the food supplies for ten thousand
fighters and their horses and camels, which could enable themto
continue the siege for several months or weeks.In addition, a
hurricane like wind went on causing the pagan army many damages and
making its life miserable. The hurricane was preceded by an argument
between the pagans and their Jewish allies, which made their
co-operation in the battle highly difficult.
Thus, there was only one alternative for the pagan army to take after
the failure of Amr and his death: The withdrawal and that is what they
did.
We ought not to forget an important matter! Thedeath of Amr and most
ofhis companions raised the morale of the Muslims. Their hope in
continuity of life and in victory was revived. All this was a result
of Ali's endeavor, and by this wecan understand the meaning of the
declaration of the Prophet: "The duel of Ali Ibn Abu Talib against
AmrIbn Abd Wodd at the Battle of the Moat out weighs the good deeds of
my whole nation until the Day of Judgment."
The Confederate Army withdrew and the Muslims passed the crisis
safely. They regained their confidence concerning the future because
of failure of the Confederate forces after their biggest mobilization.
The Messenger said after their withdrawal: "After today, we shall
invade them and they will not invade us."

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Quotes for everday

Friends, Health and Love These things don't come with PRICE TAGS But
When we lose then, we realize D COST
History never looks like history when you are living through it
Suffering cheerfully endured, ceases to be suffering and is transmuted
into an ineffable joy
Faith is to believe in what you do not yet see,the reward for faith is
tosee what you believe
A man can get discouraged many times but he is not a failure until he
begins to blame somebody else and stopstrying
Learn the habit of compromise, bcoz its better to bend a little, than
2break a loving relationship
I Know So Many People Hate Me Bcoz I M Not So Good. But Some People
Love Me Bcoz They Know, That I M Not Too Bad.
In B u s i n e s s And In L i f e If You Want To Go Fast Go Alone And
If You Want To Go Far Go Together
A Lot Of Trouble In The World Will Disappear If Everyone Learns To
Talk To Each Other Instead Of Talking About Each Other
There Are Two Ways Of Spreading Light To Be The Candle Or The Mirror
That Reflects It

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Jumma Prayer - What should he do if he does not understand anything of the Friday khutbah?

I'm presently living in Africa right now. So I can't speak the
languagedown here. During the friday khutbah, I never gain anything
from it. what should I do when the khutbah is going on?Can i READ the
koran andremember my Lord or should I just sit there and listen to
something that I don't even understand?
Praise be to Allaah.
If you listen, even if you do not understand anything, you will be
doing something good, in sha Allah. Some of the scholars excused those
who do not understand the language of the khutbah and allowed them to
occupy themselves with dhikr orreading Qur'aan, subject to the
condition that they do not disturb others who are listening to the
khutbah. The viewwhich I favour, however,is that you should listen
even if you do not understand.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr

Jumma Prayer - What is the ruling on Sajdat al-Tilaawah?

What is the ruling on Sajdat al-Tilaawah? Should it be followed with
Tasleem (saying salaam) or not when a person is reciting Qur'aan but
is not praying? What should hesay in this sujood? If he is praying and
the Sajdatal-Tilaawah comes at theend of a soorah, should he recite a
little more of the soorah afterwards orshould he do rukoo'
straightaway?
Praise be to Allaah.
Sajdat al-Tilaawah is Sunnah, and there is no text to indicate that
one should say salaam afterwards, so the person who does sajdat
al-tilaawah does not have to say salaam. The person who does sajdat
al-tilaawah at the end ofa soorah like Al-A'raaf, Al-Najm or Iqraa'
whilst he is praying does not have to recite more Qur'aan afterwards
and before doing rukoo', butif he does do that there is nothing wrong
with it.In his sujood for recitingQur'aan he says what he says in his
sujood when he prays.
Al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah Li'l-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wa'l-Iftaa'

Jumma Prayer - Minimum number required for Jumu’ah prayer

In regard Jumu'ah prayers, what is the minimum number of people
required to pray in congregation behind the imam. I have heard
different opinions ion reference to this such as some brothers have
told me that a minimum of 40 people are required while others have
said 2.Adifferent source has also said that only 2 people can
constitute to a congregation for jumu'ah prayers. Can you please
clarify this question for me.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked the following question:
What is the number of men required for Jumu'ah prayer to be valid?
Some people say that it is not valid with less than forty men, and if
there is one less than that, they should pray Zuhr.
Answer: Establishing Jumu'ah prayers is obligatory (waajib) upon the
Muslims in their villages on Fridays, and it is necessary for there to
be a jamaa'ah (congregation) in order for the Jumu'ah prayer to be
valid. There is no proven evidence (daleel)which states that a
specific number is required; for the prayer to be valid it is
sufficient for there to be three or more people. It is not permissible
for a person who is obliged to pray Jumu'ah to pray Zuhr in its place
when there are less than forty people present – according to the
correct scholarly view. And Allaah is the source of strength. May
Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and
grant them peace.
Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, part 8, p. 178

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An introduction to first infallible Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H.)

Quraish Tribe
The tribe of Quraish was taken into consideration as one of the most
respectable and honorable one amid the honorable Arab tribes of Hijaz
(The land which is now known as Saudi Arabia was known as Hijaz before
the Saudi dynasty came into existence).
The great grand father ofthe Prophet (P.B.U.H.) known as Kisa Bin
Kalab was custodian of the Kaabah (The Haram of God). Quraish were
divided into many different groups and Bani Hashim was the noblest one
out of them.
Hashim was considered to be a noble, wise and honorable one among the
people of Mecca. He helped and assisted the residents of Mecca and
started the trading business in the summer and winter for the
betterment of their lives. Therefore, the people gave him the title of
Syed. This is the very reason why those who are his successors and out
of his and Prophet's race are known as Syeds. The sons of Hashim
following him known as Mutalib and Abdul Mutalib became the guardians
and custodiansof Quraish. Abdul Mutalib was a great personality. This
was during his age that Abraha attacked Kaabah, but the Almighty God
destroyed him. This added to the greatness ofAbdul Mutalib. He loved
Abdullah very much. Abdullah was married to the noble girl Amina at
the age of twenty-four years.
Two months after the event of Amul-feel Amina bore a child who was
named Mohammad (P.B.U.H.). Before the Birth of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.)
his father Abdullah had passed away and after a short period his
mother too breathed her last. The Prophet's (P.B.U.H.) grandfather
Abdul Mutalib took over as his guardian. The son of Abdullah, the
Prophet (P.B.U.H.) with the grace and mercy of God grew up to be such
a young man with spiritual purity that the people of Mecca loved him
and used to keep their belongings in his custody. This is the reason
he was called"Amin."
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.), with his force of faith, backed and assisted
the poor and oppressed ones, took his meals along with them, lent
earto their words and solvedtheir problems.
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.), when some of the young ones organized an
association known as the"Commitment of youths", joined them and
started backing them because their aim was supportingthe tyrannized
ones and waging jihad (holy war) against the tyrants and cruel ones.
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.), as his uncle Abu Talib (A.S.) advised him,
joined the trade caravan of Khatija (A.S.) and due to his correct and
right work became the leader of the caravan.
After some time Khatija (A.S.) got impressed by his virtues and wished
his hand in marriage. He accepted the proposal and the richest lady of
Quraish put all her wealth into his feet (This wealth which was the
greatest possible treasure of the Arab world of those days, was later
on used by him for the sake of helping poor Muslims and spreading
Islam) and at his disposal.
Khatija (A.S.) gave birth to Fatima (A.S.), to whose race belong all
the Infallible Imams of Islamic Ummah.
The Sagacity of Prophet (P.B.U.H.)
After ten years of his marriage a strong flood came to Mecca, which
divested and plundered the Khanae Kaabah. To avoid dispute, the work
of reconstruction of Kaabah was distributed among various tribes but
when the building construction was completed and the time for fixing
the Hajar-e-Aswad (a black stone fixed on a corner of Kaabah)
approached, every tribe had the desire to achieve the honor of fixing
it.
They got very close to a war. He gave the decisionthat the
Hajar-e-Aswad be placed on a sheet of cloth and all of them should
carry it together and erect it.
Commencement of the Prophetic Mission
At the age of forty years the Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) was appointed as Prophet.
One day when he was busy offering his prayers and was worshipping God
at the Cave of Hara (The Cave of Hara is known as Kooh-e-noor is about
6 KM from Mecca towards Mina) angel Gabriel brought him revelation
from God that he was chosen as Prophet.
After the revelation he went to take rest at his home. Once again, the
angel Gabriel descended and reveled the revelation of God to him for
starting the religious propagation.
To start with, Prophet (P.B.U.H.) secretly propagated and a few men
secretly accepted Islam. First of all, his wife accepted his Prophesy
and then Hazrat Ali (A.S.). He leveled the ground and made the
atmosphere for propagation ready for as long as three years.
God commanded him to invite the people towards one single God and
start a holy war and crusade against the idols.
This was a dangerous and perilous job because the chiefs of the tribes
had achieved the status of Kings and Monarchs and had made all the
others their slaves. Secondly it appeared to be difficult to break the
idols those, which had been worshipped by them, for ages.
But there was no alternative except to tolerate and bear the
difficulties for the sake ofachievement of the goal and high aim of
monotheism and constitution of Taw hid (One Gad).
After the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) had extended the common invitation,
people started their resistance and enmity.
In the beginning, they tried to stop him (P.B.U.H.) by offering bribe.
But when they did not succeed, they used power and started teasing,
torturing, plundering the assets and making fun and cracking jokes
with his followers but this attempt also failed to stop the mission of
the Prophet (P.B.U.H.).
The polytheists boosted up their brutalities and violence and ousted
the Prophet along with his family and followers out of Mecca.
Therefore, these people were forced to live in Shaab-e-Abu Talib for
three years, so as to get themselves saved from the evil activities of
the enemy. But the enemies did not content themselves and restrict
their activities to this.
They even besieged the Shaab-e-Abu Talib so thatthe food and water
does not reach them.
Some people played upon their lives to get them food in the darkness
of the night.
So the time kept on passing till the polytheist gave way to the strong
will and determination ofthe Muslims and decided to Kill the Prophet
(P.B.U.H.). They planned to select one young man from each and every
tribe and family so that no one should be able to ask them for blood
money. They fixed a particular night to attack the Prophet's house and
martyr him.
Migration to Madinah
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) came to know about their plan through
revelation. Out of his lovers, this was only Ali (A.S.) who chose to
lie down upon his bed and sacrifice his own life for the Prophet
(P.B.U.H.). The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) migrated from Mecca under the cover
of darkness of night. The polytheists gathered on the specified time
on thatnight to attack the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) but when they saw Ali
(A.S.) on the bed of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) they were astonished and
immediately started the pursuit of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) but they
came back without achieving their end.
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.), after a tiresome and inconvenient journey
reached Quba, a place near Madinah, where theinhabitants of Madinah
greeted and welcomed the Prophet (P.B.U.H).
After reaching this place the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) planned to construct
the Quba Mosque, so that the Muslims may gather thereto offer their
prayers andstart planning about their constructional works.
The work of the Mosque construction proceeded swiftly. The Prophet
(P.B.U.H.) also helped during the work. After the work got
accomplished the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) offeredthe first ever Juma
prayerin the same Mosque. The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) delivered a short
speech and waited for his representative Ali (A.S.) tocome and join
him along with the ladies of Bani Hashim and then they enter the city
together.
Ali (A.S.) remained in Mecca for 3 days after theProphet's (P.B.U.H.)
departure and surrendered all the deposits which the people had kept
with theProphet (P.B.U.H.) Then Ali (A.S.) left Mecca for Madinah
along with the ladies of Bani Hashim at midnight and later joined the
Prophet (P.B.U.H.) at Quba.
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) along with Ali (A.S.) and the ladies entered
the city of Madinah where a warm welcome of the city inhabitants was
awaiting them. Everyone was requesting the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) to be
his guest. But he (P.B.U.H.) said leave the way of my camel, I
(P.B.U.H.) will become theguest of the person on whose door the camel
shall sit down.
The camel kept moving and crossing the streets of Madinah till She sat
down on the door of AbuAyub Ansari and the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) became
the guest of him.
After reaching Madinah, first of all the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) laid the
foundation of the Mosque so as to start the preaching and propagation
of his religion from this great and glorious base.
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) immediately put and end to the war of Aus and
Khizra's tribes, which were going on for a hundred and twenty years on
the provocation of the Jews and made them, enter a truce.
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) created the"brotherhood" between the Muhajireen
(immigrants) and Ansar (aiders) so that they do not become a burden
upon the later and they could live their lives together.
The Jews of Madinah who had the keys to the economy of that place felt
a danger approaching them, so they spoiled and deterred their
relations with the Muslims. They wanted to deter and finish the unity
of Muslims and kill them. But the Prophet (P.B.U.H.)was fully aware of
their activities and thus he would nullify and counter all their
conspiracies.
The Deviation of Qiblah
The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) used to offer his prayers facing Aqsa Mosque of
the Jerusalem for a period of thirteen years in Mecca and one year and
five months in Madinah. The Jews objected to it and said if we are not
on the right path then why do you offer your prayers facing our
Qiblah.
After all, one day Jabriel (A.S.) descended from theheaven along with
the revelation at a time when the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) was busy offering
his prayer he said: God has ordered you to turn your face towards the
Kaabah. Just now.
From that time onwards Masjid-ul Haram (Kaabah)is the Qiblah of
Muslims. The Jews felt bad about itand objected upon Muslims and said
if Kaabah was your Qiblah then why did you offer your prayers facing
Masjid-ul Aqsa (Jerusalem)?
They were unaware of the fact that the change of Qiblah occurred for
the very reason to distinguish the friends and enemies of Islam. So
that those who obey the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) are distinguished from
those who disobey and oppose him.

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The excellence of generosity

Generosity is a virtuous trait that every Muslim should strive to
attain. As for the believer who closely adheres to the teachings of
Islam, kindness and giving from what he has become part ofhis good
character.
Generosity is the opposite of stinginess, as stinginess is a disease
of the heart. The Muslim should avoid this bad quality, for it is a
source of corruption. The Muslim's faith and righteous deeds purify
his heart, so his hands should be outstretched, giving to those who
are in need.
A generous man will share what he has with others, thinking about
other people as he thinks of himself. He benefits by helping others
and solving their problems. He makes people happy and prevents them
from doing wrong, which is often a direct result of poverty. This is a
great service to society, and thereare some people who spend theirlife
in this service, establishing valuable foundations which remain after
them such as hospitals, libraries etc.
Whatever is given for Allaah's Sake will never decrease one's wealth
in the slightest; rather, it will bless, purify and increase it, as
the Prophet said: "Charity does not decrease wealth." [Muslim]
Whatever is given in charity will be recorded with The One Who has
full knowledge of all things. Allaah, Almighty, Says (what means):
"...And whatever you spend of good – it will be fully repaid to you,
and you will not bewronged.'' [Quran 2: 272]
The Prophet directed the Muslims' attention to this higher
understanding of generosity when he asked 'Aaishah what was left of
the sheep they had slaughtered. She told him : 'Nothing but the
shoulder." He said, 'Everything except the shoulder is saved' ."
[At-Tirmithi]
Whatever is spent will return multiplied and Allaah will increase it
in this world and in the next. Allaah Says (what means): "The example
of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allaah is like a seed
[of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred
grains. And Allaah multiplies [His reward]for whom He wills. And
Allaah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." [Quran 2: 261]
And (what means): "… But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] – He
will compensate it; and He is the best of providers." [Quran 34: 39]
Since noble characteristics are acquired in different ways, the Muslim
works to develop virtuoustraits according to Islamic guidelines.
Allaah Says (what means): " And spend [in the way of Allaah] from what
We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says,
'My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give
charity and be amongthe righteous.' " [Quran 63: 10]
Generosity is not expressed exclusively with wealth and money, but
also with our time, good deeds, actions and kindnessto all people.
Allaah Says (what means): " Never will you attain the good [reward]
until you spend [in the way of Allaah] from that which you love.. ."
[Quran 3: 92]
Allaah, Almighty Says (what means): " Indeed, mankind was created
anxious : w hen evil touches him, impatient, a nd when good touches
him, withholding [of it]..." [Quran 70: 19-21]
The Messenger of Allaah said: "Protect yourself from the Hell-fire
even by giving a piece of a date as charity.'' [Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim]
This narration shows that a person can be generous and win the
pleasure of Allaah even by spending a small quantity of wealth.
Jaabir reported that the Messenger of Allaah never said `no' to anyone
who asked him for something. [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
This narration illustrates the generosity of the Prophet . If somebody
asked him for something, he would never say `no' to him. He would
also, on occasions, resort to borrowing to meet the want of a needy
person.
The Prophet said: "Everyday two angels descend and one of them says,
`O Allaah! Compensate(more) to the person who gives (in charity)';
while the other one says, `O Allaah! Destroy the one who withholds
(charity, etc).' " [Al-Bukhaari]
The Prophet also said: "Allaah,the Exalted, Says, `Spend, O son
ofAadam, you will also be spent upon.'' [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
According to the narration, one who spends in the way of Allaah, will
be duly paid. It means that Allaah will enhance the provision of such
a man and grant him the best recompense.
In another narration, the Prophet said: "There are forty kinds of
virtue, the highest of which is to gift a (milch) she-goat. He who
practices any of these virtues, expecting its reward (from Allaah) and
believing in the truth of the promise made for it, will enter Jannah
(Paradise).'' [Al-Bukhaari]
A person giving charity should not render it vain by reminders ofhis
generosity or by injury. The giver should be cheerful when asked and
when giving. He should spend without being stingy or irresponsible.
Whether giving in abundance from his riches, or a small amount of his
meager means, one should give with complete satisfaction, a cheerful
face and nice speech.
The Muslim who truly understands the teachings of his religion never
looks down upon any charity, no matter how small it may be. He strives
to do as much as he is able, while he is firm in his conviction that
Allaah will reward his good deeds, no matter how small, as Allaah Says
(what means): "On no soul does Allaah place a burden greater that it
can bear …" [Quran 2: 286]
He also responds to the words of the Prophet : "Protect yourselves
from the Fire even if it is with half a date." [Al-Bukhaari]
Islam teaches the Muslims to be constructive, beneficial members of
their societies; always helping those who are deprived and destitute
to the best of their abilities. Every good deed is described as an act
of charity, as the Prophet said: "Every Muslim must give charity."
They said, "O Messenger of Allaah, what if he cannot do that?" He,
said, "Then let him help one who is in desperate need." He, said, "
Then let him do good, and refrain from doing evil, and that will be an
act of charity on his part." [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]

The perils of lying

Lying is a reprehensible quality against which the Islamic Sharee'ah
(Islamic legislation) hasissued severe warnings.; Man's sound nature
is instinctively repelled by such a quality and all sound-minded and
noble people refuse it to indulge in it.
Truthfulness is one of the pillars of the survival of the Universe,
the origin of all praiseworthy qualities, the cornerstone of
Prophethood and a natural fruit of piety. Lying, on the other hand,is
an act by which one breaks away from the sound innate human nature.
In Islam, lying has been warned against and prohibited in the Quran,
the Prophetic Sunnah (tradition) and the consensus of the Muslim
scholars. Lying has very evil consequences in both this life and the
life to come.
Lying has only been permitted under very stringent conditions and in
particular situations when it does not result in depriving anyone from
his/her rights, shedding blood or slandering others and the like. In
fact, lying has only been permitted in a situation to save someone's
life, reconcile between two disputing parties or bring about more love
and compassion between spouses.
There is no special day or time during which Islam permits people to
lie and say whatever they wish. On the first day of April(what is
known as April Fools' Day), people deem lying and saying anything they
wish lawful,without having any basis to their claims. There is a great
deal of evil resulting from such a practice, which we will mention
later.
The words of the Salaf (pious predecessors) regarding lying:
· Ibn Mas`ood said, "Truthfulness leads to piety and piety leads to
paradise. A man persists in speaking the truth until no trace of evil
will be left inhis heart nor can transgression remain therein. A man
continues to lie until not so much as the space that a needle occupies
of piety would be left in his heart."
· Ibn Mas`ood said, "Lying is not accepted in jest or seriousness."
Then he recited the verse (which means): } O you who have believed,
fear Allaah and be with those who are truthful { [Quran 9:119]
· Abu Bakr said, "Beware of lying as it opposes faith."
· Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas said, "A believer can get accustomed to all
qualities except lying and deception."
· Ibn 'Umar said, "One will never achieve the reality of faith until
he refrains from lying even ifit is in jest."
Permissible lying:
Lying is considered lawful in Islam for three different reasons: war,
reconciling between disputing people and between spouses for the
purpose of arousing love and compassion and to prevent disputes. It is
alsolawful to tell a lie under extenuating circumstances. An example
of this is the case of a Muslim who hides himself or his money from a
tyrant who is bent on killing him or taking his money from him by
force. If one knows the whereabouts of this Muslim or his money and is
askedabout it, it is permissible to a lie in this case to save a
Muslim's lifeor his property. However, it is better to give an
equivocal answer (that is, one which is not clear or definite in
meaning), and that can be interpreted in more than one way in order to
shun lying altogether.
The sum and substance of this discussion has been derived fromthe
narration ascribed to Umm Kulthoom who said, "The Messenger of Allaah
said: "A liar is not the one who tries to bring about reconciliation
between the people and speaks good to avert dispute or to convey
good." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim].
Asmaa' bint Yazeed, , who said: "The Messenger of Allaah said: "Lying
is not permissibleexcept for three reasons: lying to one's wife to
please her (for the purpose of arousing love and compassion and
prevent disputes), lying during war and lying when reconciling between
disputing people." [At-Tirmithi-

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stories - I'm in love with my boss

Hi!
I've been plucking up courage to write to you for a long time but
today I decided to tell my story and probably to find somebody who can
give me a piece of advice or just listen to what I have to say.
The problem is that I'm inlove with my boss and I can't admit my
feelings to him. Everybody will think that this is just a pretext for
getting a promotion or for keeping my job. They can't understand that
thisis love actually. And what if he refuses me flatly? I will look
like an absolute fool. How will I look him in the eyes? I'll have to
quit my job although I really like it and need it.
I can feel that his attitudetowards me is different but sometimes he
acts in the same way with the others....
I don't know…. it's really hard for me to hide my love but it's even
harder to admit it.

stories - I played with them: now I need their forgiveness

By the grace of God I'm an academically buoyant.I use to teach
students"English Language". My young age and manner of teaching
usually attract girls to me... Thereare these 3 girls that are friends
but I was oblivious of that. They began to develop some feelings
towards me individually and even sending me messages. As time goes on
I began to reciprocate the feelings. These 3 girls are very beautiful.
I was confused on whom to choose and the pressure they are mounting on
me was so much that I can't reject any of them.
The relationship lasted for about 2 years. Just few months ago I gave
my life to Christ. I summoned the girls and told them that it's all
over. But I told them this not simultaneously. When the girls sat
together discussing their"Boyfriend" who called them to tell them that
it's all over, they were surprised that the same ordeal happened to
themthe same time. The truth came to lime light when they discovered
that I'm their boyfriend.
This girls refuse to forgive me and now I'm apreacher. What do I do?

Salman al-Farsi - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

This is a story of a seeker of Truth, the story of Salman the Persian,
gleaned, to begin with, from his own words:
I grew up in the town of Isfahanin Persia in the village of Jayyan. My
father was the Dihqan or chief of the village. He was the richest
person there and had thebiggest house.
Since I was a child my father loved me, more than he loved any other.
As time went by his love for me became so strong and overpowering that
he feared to lose me or have anything happen to me. So he kept me at
home, a veritable prisoner, in the same way that young girls were
kept.
I became devoted to the Magian religion so much so that I attained the
position of custodian of the fire which we worshipped. My duty was to
see that the flames of the fire remained burning and that it didnot go
out for a single hour, day or night.
My father had a vast estate which yielded an abundant supply of crops.
He himself looked after the estate and the harvest. One day he was
very busy with his duties as dihqan inthe village and he said to me:
"My son, as you see, I am too busy to go out to the estate now. Go and
look after matters there for me today."
On my way to the estate, I passed a Christian church and the voices at
prayer attracted myattention. I did not know anything about
Christianity or about the followers of any otherreligion throughout
the time myfather kept me in the house away from people. When I
heardthe voices of the Christians I entered the church to see what
they were doing. I was impressed by their manner of praying and felt
drawn to their religion. "By God," I said, "this is better than ours.
I shall not leave them until the sun sets."
I asked and was told that the Christian religion originated in
Ash-Sham (Greater Syria). I did not go to my father's estate thatday
and at night, I returned home. My father met me and asked what I had
done. I told him about my meeting with the Christians and how I was
impressed by their religion. He was dismayed and said:
"My son, there is nothing good in that religion. Your religion and the
religion of your forefathers is better."
"No, their religion is better than ours," I insisted.
My father became upset and afraid that I would leave our religion. So
he kept me locked up in the house and put a chain on my feet. I
managed however to send a message to the Christians asking them to
informme of any caravan going to Syria.Before long they got in touch
with me and told me that a caravan was headed for Syria. I managed to
unfetter myself and in disguise accompanied the caravan to Syria.
There, I asked who was the leading person in the Christian religion
and was directed to the bishop of the church. I went up to him and
said:
"I want to become a Christian and would like to attach myself to your
service, learn from you and pray with you."
The bishop agreed and I enteredthe church in his service. I soon found
out, however, that the man was corrupt. He would order his followers
to give money in charity while holding out the promise of blessings to
them. When they gave anything to spend in the way of God, however, he
would hoard it for himself and not give anything tothe poor or needy.
In this way he amassed a vast quantity of gold. When the bishop died
and the Christians gathered to bury him, I told them of his corrupt
practices and, at their request, showed them where he kept their
donations. When they saw the large jars filled with gold and silver
they said.
"By God, we shall not bury him." They nailed him on a cross and threw
stones at him. I continuedin the service of the person who replaced
him. The new bishop was an ascetic who longed for the Hereafter and
engaged in worship day and night. I was greatly devoted to him and
spent a long time in his company.
(After his death, Salman attached himself to various Christian
religious figures, in Mosul, Nisibis and elsewhere. The last one had
told him about the appearance of a Prophet in the land of the Arabs
who wouldhave a reputation for strict honesty, one who would accept a
gift but would never consume charity (sadaqah) for himself. Salman
continues his story.)
A group of Arab leaders from theKalb tribe passed through Ammuriyah
and I asked them to take me with them to the land of the Arabs in
return for whatever money I had. They agreed and I paid them. When we
reached Wadi al-Qura (a place between Madinah and Syria), they broke
their agreement and sold me to a Jew. I worked as a servant for him
but eventually he sold me toa nephew of his belonging to the tribe of
Banu Qurayzah. This nephew took me with him to Yathrib, the city of
palm groves, which is how the Christian at Ammuriyah had described it.
At that time the Prophet was inviting his people in Makkah to Islam
but I did not hear anything about him then because of the harsh duties
which slavery imposed upon me.
When the Prophet reached Yathrib after his hijrah from Makkah, I was
in fact at the top of a palm tree belonging to my master doing some
work. My master was sitting under the tree. A nephew of his came up
and said:
"May God declare war on the Aws and the Khazraj (the two main Arab
tribes of Yathrib). By God, they are now gathering at Quba to meet a
man who has today come from Makkah and who claims he is a Prophet."
I felt hot flushes as soon as I heard these words and I began to
shiver so violently that I was afraid that I might fall on my master.
I quickly got down from the tree and spoke to my master's nephew.
"What did you say? Repeat the news for me."
My master was very angry and gave me a terrible blow. "What does this
matter to you'? Go back to what you were doing," he shouted.
That evening, I took some dates that I had gathered and went to the
place where the Prophet hadalighted. I went up to him and said:
"I have heard that you are a righteous man and that you have
companions with you who are strangers and are in need. Here is
something from me as sadaqah. I see that you are moredeserving of it
than others."
The Prophet ordered his companions to eat but he himself did not eat
of it. I gathered some more dates and when the Prophet left Quba for
Madinah I went to him and said:"I noticed that you did not eat ofthe
sadaqah I gave. This however is a gift for you." Of thisgift of dates,
both he and his companions ate.
The strict honesty of the Prophetwas one of the characteristics that
led Salman to believe in himand accept Islam .
Salman was released from slavery by the Prophet who paid his Jewish
slave-owner a stipulated price and who himselfplanted an agreed number
of date palms to secure his manumission. After accepting Islam, Salman
would say when asked whose son he was:
"I am Salman, the son of Islam from the children of Adam."
Salman was to play an important role in the struggles of the growing
Muslim state. At the battle of Khandaq, he provedto be an innovator in
military strategy. He suggested digging aditch or khandaq around
Madinah to keep the Quraysh army at bay. When Abu Sufyan, the leader
of the Makkans, saw the ditch, he said, "This stratagem has not been
employed by the Arabs before."
Salman became known as"Salman the Good". He was a scholar who lived a
rough and ascetic life. He had one cloak which he wore and on which he
slept. He would not seek the shelter of a roof but stayed under a tree
or against a wall. A man once said to him:
"Shall I not build you a house in which to live?" "I have no need of a
house," he replied. The man persisted and said, "I know the type of
house that would suit you." "Describe it to me," said Salman. "I shall
build you a house which if you stand up in it, its roof will hurt your
head and if you stretch your legs the wall will hurt them."
Later, as a governor of al-Madain(Ctesiphon) near Baghdad, Salman
received a stipend of fivethousand dirhams. This he would distribute
as sadaqah. He lived from the work of his own hands. When some people
came to Madain and saw him working in the palm groves, they said,"You
are the amir here and your sustenance is guaranteed and you do this
work!"
"I like to eat from the work of my own hands," he replied. Salman
however was not extreme in his asceticism. It is related that he once
visited Abu ad-Dardaa with whom the Prophet had joined him in
brotherhood. He found Abu ad-Dardaas wife in a miserable state and he
asked, "What is the matter with you."
"Your brother has no need of anything in this world," she replied.
When Abu ad-Dardaa came, he welcomed Salman and gave him food. Salman
told him to eat butAbu ad-Dardaa said, "I am fasting."
"I swear to you that I shall not eat until you eat also."
Salman spent the night there as well. During the night, Abu ad-Dardaa
got up but Salman got hold of him and said:
"O Abu ad-Dardaa, your Lord has a right over you. Your family has a
right over you and your body has a right over you. Give to eachits
due."
In the morning, they prayed together and then went out to meet the
Prophet, peace be upon him. The Prophet supported Salman in what he
had said.
As a scholar, Salman was noted for his vast knowledge and wisdom. Ali
said of him that he was like Luqman the Wise. And Kab al-Ahbar said:
"Salman is stuffed with knowledge and wisdom--an ocean that does
notdry up." Salman had a knowledge of both the Christian scriptures
and the Quran in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian
religion. Salman in fact translated parts of the Quran into Persian
during the life-time of the Prophet. He was thus the first person to
translate the Quran into a foreign language.
Salman, because of the influential household in which he grew up,
might easily have been a major figure in the sprawling Persian Empire
of his time. His search for truth however led him, even before the
Prophet had appeared, to renounce a comfortable and affluent life and
even to suffer the indignities of slavery. According to the most
reliable account, he died in the year thirty five after the hijrah,
duringthe caliphate of Uthman, at Ctesiphon.

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Disciplining Oneself

How can the Muslim discipline himself Islamically, especially if he
has shortcomings with regard to his religious commitment, which Allaah
knows bestabout?
Praise be to Allaah.
Acknowledging your shortcomings is one of the first steps in
disciplining yourself.
Whoever acknowledges that he has shortcomings has startedon the path
to self-discipline. This acknowledgement is one of the things that
make us discipline ourselves and be persistent in doing so. This
acknowledgement should not put you off disciplining yourself. It isa
sign of Allaah's care when a person tries to change himself and
develop, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah will not change the condition of a people as long as
they do not change their state themselves"
[al-Ra'd 13:11]
So whoever tries to change for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will help
him to change.
Each person is individually responsible for his own self, and will be
questioned individually, as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most
Gracious (Allaah) as a slave.
Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting.
And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of
Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender)"
[Maryam 19:93-95]
Man cannot benefit fromwhat he has been told about goodness unless he
himself takes an interest in that. Do you not know the story of the
wife of Nooh and the wife of Loot, who were members of the households
of two Prophets, one of whom was one of the Messengers of strong will?
Imagine how these Prophets strove to guidetheir wives and how much
guidance these wives received, but there was no interest on their
part, so it was said to both of them:
"Enter the Fire along with those who enter!"
[al-Tahreem 66:10 – interpretation of the meaning]
Whereas the wife of Pharaoh – even though she was a member of
thehousehold of one of the greatest evildoers – is presented by Allaah
as an example to those who believe because shedisciplined herself.
The ways in which a Muslim can discipline himself are as follows:
1- Worshipping Allaah,keeping in contact with Him and submitting
to Him. That is done by paying attention to doing obligatory acts of
worship well, and cleansing your heart of any attachment to anything
other than Allaah.
2- Reading Qur'aan a great deal, pondering itsmeanings and seeking
to understand it.
3- Reading useful religious books that describe the ways of
treating and cleansing the heart, such as Mukhtasar Manhaaj
al-Qaasideen, Tahdheeb Madaarij al-Saalikeen and so on; reading the
biographies of the salaf (pious predecessors) andlearning about their
attitude and behaviour, such as Sifat al-Safwah by Ibn al-Jawzi and
Aynanahnu min Akhlaaq al-Salaf by Baha' al-Deen'Aqeel and Naasir
al-Jaleel.
4- Attending educational programs such as classes and lectures.
5- Making good use of your time and using it todo things that will
be of benefit in both worldly and spiritual terms
6- Not indulging too much in permissible things and not paying too
much attention to them.
7- Keeping company with righteous people and looking for righteous
companions, who can help you to do good. Those who live alone will
miss out on a lot of the characteristics of a good brother such as
preferring others to oneself and being patient.
8- Trying to act on what you learn and put it into practice.
9- Checking closely on yourself.
10-Having confidence in yourself – whilst relying on Allaah – because
the one who has no confidence cannot act.
11-Despising yourself fornot doing enough for the sake of Allaah. This
does not contradict the things mentioned above.Man has to strive hard
whilst still thinking that his efforts are not enough.
12-Practising withdrawal or isolation as prescribed in sharee'ah
(Islamic law). You should not mix with people all the time, rather you
must have some time which you spend alone, in worship as prescribed in
Islam.
We ask Allaah to help us and you to discipline ourselves and submit to
that which Allaah loves and is pleased with. May Allaah send blessings
and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad andupon his family and companions.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid